Literary Analysis Vocab

Question 1

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Answer 1

diction

Question 2

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

Answer 2

denotation

Question 3

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Answer 3

connotation

Question 4

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. (Directly comparing NOT USING like or as)

Answer 4

metaphor

Question 5

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid(Indirect comparison using like or as)

Answer 5

simile

Question 6

a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Answer 6

analogy

Question 7

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Answer 7

personification

Question 8

a direct address to an abstract

Answer 8

apostrophe

Question 9

a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

Answer 9

rhetorical question

Question 10

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Answer 10

juxtaposition

Question 11

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Answer 11

understatement

Question 12

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Answer 12

hyperbole

Question 13

a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

Answer 13

cliché

Question 14

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Answer 14

paradox

Question 15

two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings:

Answer 15

oxymoron

Question 16

repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have
the same level of importance.

Answer 16

parallel structure

Question 17

a literary device by which the audience’s or reader’s understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

Answer 17

dramatic irony

Question 18

a literary device that occurs when the outcome of a situation is different from what is expected.

Answer 18

situational irony

Question 19

a rhetorical device where the intended meaning of what is said is different from the literal meaning of the words.

Answer 19

verbal irony

Question 20

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Answer 20

allegory

Question 21

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Answer 21

allusion

Question 22

a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Answer 22

symbol

Question 23

attitude is one that is designed to teach people something, but is often used in a negative way to describe lessons or teachers that are boring or annoying

Answer 23

didactic attitude

Question 24

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Answer 24

satire

Question 25

a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect.

Answer 25

caricature

Question 26

the methods used to persuade an audience through an argument. The three main types of rhetorical appeals are logos, ethos, and pathos, which are derived from classical Greek terms

Answer 26

rhetorical appeals

Question 27

a genre fiction novel that primary focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.

Answer 27

romance

Question 28

the central character of a play, film, etc., depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall.

Answer 28

tragic hero

Question 29

a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you

Answer 29

epiphany

Question 30

a literary style in which a character’s thoughts, feelings, and reactions are depicted in a continuous flow uninterrupted by objective description or conventional dialogue.

Answer 30

stream of consciousness

Question 31

a story told within a frame or a story constituting a frame for another story or a series of other stories .the opening and closing constitutes a frame.

Answer 31

frame story

Question 32

a narrative technique that tells a story from the perspective of a character in the story, using the pronouns “I”, “me”, “we”, and “us”

Answer 32

first person point of view

Question 33

a narrative technique that involves the narrator addressing the reader directly using the pronoun “you”

Answer 33

second person point of view

Question 34

a narrative style that allows the reader to experience a story from the perspective of a single character

Answer 34

third person limited

Question 35

the narrator has an all-knowing perspective on the story, and can access the thoughts, actions, and feelings of all the characters.

Answer 35

third person omniscient

Question 36

the voice or character that is imagined to be saying the written words, or the person who tells the story.

Answer 36

speaker

Question 37

the aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others.

Answer 37

persona/mask

Question 38

the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

Answer 38

denouement

Question 39

class of novel that depicts and explores the manner in which the protagonist develops morally and psychologically.(Coming of Age)

Answer 39

bildungsroman